barcoding, labelling & packaging
efficiency in laser processes t
By Geoff Sagar, business development manager - Laser, BOFA International
he role of laser fume and dust extraction in packaging and labelling processes has increased significantly in recent years as a
result of the increase in speed of production lines to optimise productivity and the need to meet consumer expectation with high quality output. a well-designed extraction system starts with
assessing risk and understanding the factors which may compromise performance, for example ensuring that particulate does not gather around the laser area, either in hoses/ducting or in filters. any such build-up will impact the quality of the code or shape being cut, marked or engraved. from a technical perspective, fume and dust
extraction systems, such as those designed and manufactured by bofa international, perform two primary functions – to help keep workplace environments free from potentially harmful airborne contaminants that can present sometimes significant health risks to people, and to capture particulate emitted by laser processes that might otherwise contaminate high value equipment or end product and lead to stoppages of production lines. this is achieved through system geometry and optimised airflow to capture near 100 per cent (99.997 per cent) of particulate through multi-stage filtration. filtration technology includes the design and
manufacture of specialist activated carbon filters that can trap specific chemical emissions linked to potentially toxic substrates, such as acrylic. the fumes given off by laser cutting and engraving acrylic, for example in producing point of sale materials, are invisible but need to be trapped and contained within the carbon filter to ensure there is no bypass or leakage. beyond the associated health risks, dust and
particulate is the enemy of laser operations. any contamination of the lens or laser aperture, or disruption to the beam caused by dust or extraneous matter resulting from any given process, will significantly impact on the finish of packaging or marking, particularly where precision finishing is a key brand requirement. this can result in costly downtime and
create additional maintenance, remedial cleaning and product rework costs. so, any data provided by the fume and dust extraction system is increasingly seen as the
currency of performance and bofa has risen to the challenge with its new iQ2 technology, which not only offers extended performance logs and intuitive visual system status read-outs, but also provides access to future bofa features through easy-to-install software upgrades. this new technology for laser processing
supports the speed, efficiency and quality drivers increasingly demanded in a high-volume manufacturing setting, such as the precision marking, cutting and coding of products and packaging. it integrates directly with existing production systems through signal interfacing. it can also support the following laser
processes:
1) food packaging manufacture where lasering is used to create high-quality shapes or messages on a variety of products – including yoghurt tops - by cutting through a thin surface covering to expose a foil substrate. extraction technology ensures that the laser remains clear of any debris during the process to ensure the high resolution of the code or mark can be preserved.
2) in cosmetics, lasering enables manufacturers to engrave highly detailed product names and logos directly to a variety of products, including lipsticks, at very high speed, thereby ensuring the packaging reflects the core values of leading brands. effective extraction ensures that the dust emitted by the process does not interrupt the beam, which would distort the visual finish.
With the iQ2, the volume and
type of data collected and the depth of system reporting goes further than ever before, with up to 12 months of data stored onboard and multiple core functions monitored in real- time. this information includes a regular ‘snapshot’ of overall system functionality, enabling detailed analysis of extraction performance to identify value- adding trends that can
14 september 2021 | factory&handlingsolutions
contribute to improved productivity. one of the most significant customer
benefits of the enhanced operating system is the introduction of a colour touchscreen interface that provides real-time condition read-outs, detailing how each part of the system is performing. the information is displayed using
internationally recognised icons and multi- language options, making it easy for manufacturers to quickly review filter status, system temperature, percentage motor running and operating efficiency. these data can help head-off potential issues before they impact on production and can also be used to inform system configuration to maximise filter life. the new extended data log in iQ2 is
particularly valuable for high volume manufacturing because with increasing production line speeds, filter capacity is best measured through units of product rather than units of time. interrogating these logs can provide the granular detail needed to establish optimal filter exchange patterns in step with maintenance routines to avoid the risk of costly unplanned downtime. this combination of downloadable data and
visual read-outs makes diagnostics smarter and quicker, no matter where in the world a production facility is based. it no longer relies on operator interpretation of data – the visualisation of system performance on the user interface quickly establishes the overall health of each element of the extraction technology.
BOFA International
bofainternational.com
real-time data display and performance monitoring in fume and dust extraction systems are the key to
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